Amaré, Archangel of Love

(from Bodhi <rob@v-wave.com>)

As a Mercurian, Amare' attempts to further the cause of her Divine Word,
Love. Her special affinity for understanding relationships between beings
means that she also understands that love comes in many different forms
and guises. Love is complex, and Amare' is unwilling to let others over-simplify
it. She knows that love is a mysterious, powerful, completely awe-inspiring
emotion, in all of its beautiful guises. Love is grand, love is Good, love
is God.

While it may be difficult to define what love is, Robert A. Heinlein
used to write that "Love is that state of being where somebody else's
health/welfare/well-being is integral to your own". Thus, you literally
cannot hurt the one you love without hurting yourself. Perhaps this definition
comes closest to encompassing all of the wide and varied sorts of love.

Servitors of Amare' tend to emphasize one form of love more than any
of the others. This occurs simply because Celestials all tend to have certain
general personality traits, characterized by their choirs. Thus, the combination
of a servitor's choir and their choice to serve the Archangel of Love means
that they tend to further one particular type of Love. Together, working
in combination, they all further Love in general. However, different choirs
will favour one type of love over the others, as this is simply the form
of Love that they understand the best. All love is Good; their particular
form is `better'.

Dissonance

Servitors of Amare' generate dissonance when they cause someone to lose
Love. If, through their actions, some mortal loses the type of Love generally
favoured by their choir, servitors of Amare' gain a point of dissonance.

Choir Attunements

Seraphim

As Seraphim are the most noble and Truthful of all the angels, they
have an affinity for the most difficult type of love - the love of the
Self. Before you can love others, you must love yourself. However, if the
Truth were to be told, not all of us are that easy to love. When we look
deep inside ourselves, we find out that there is much that is unlovable,
and some poor souls are truly unworthy of loving themselves. Thus, while
these Seraphs may not be able to tell whether a person is Good or Evil,
they can tell whether or not, if the Truth were known, any mortal is deserving
of self-love, as well as the characteristic that is the most deserving
of self-love, and the characteristic that is least deserving of self-love.
(It is interesting to note that Balseraphs tend to be the least deserving
of self-love, and are thus ring especially `false' to the attunement of
Seraphs of Amare.)

Cherubim

As cherubs are ultimately proponents of Devotion, the form of Love they
emphasize is Idealized Romance. This form of love sees the object of affection
as the Paragon of Existence. Idealized Romance leads individuals to absolute
devotion. This is the stuff of legends, of poetry, of myths. Romeo and
Juliet were probably under the influence of some Cherub. Their attunement
provides them with the mechanism by which they can further this type of
love. Cherubs of Amare can sing the Ethereal Song of Attraction without
causing a disturbance in the Symphony, as they simply understand that all
people have something lovable about them. They are consummate match-makers,
but this love can often be disastrous. Idealized Romance, when it fails,
leads to broken hearts... and dissonance!

Ofanim

As advocates of Motion, Ofanim in service to Amare tend to move around
a lot. Thus, their love is Fleeting. They emphasize Infatuation. This emotion
is wild, chaotic, powerful, but over quite quickly. Thus, they have a special
affinity for puppy-love, love-at-first-sight, and other forms of immediately
gratifying love. Such love never lasts for long, but leaves a lasting impression.
Ofanim's attunment lets them Love-And-Leave. These wild, chaotic Celestials
can Beguile poor mortals, and literally leave them stunned with love. Thus,
on a successful Perception roll, (opposed by the mortals' Will), the Ofanite
can stun the hapless mortal for a number of minutes equal to the check
digit. Such beguiled individuals are incapable of doing anything other
than thinking about the object of their affection, fantasizing about their
potential for happiness together, and so on. When the time is up, the mortal
"comes to their senses", but remembers nothing of the past few
minutes. Love `em, and Leave `em... that's the Ofanim way!

Elohim

As the most objective of the angels, and the ones that keep emotions
in their `proper place', Elohim tend to advocate Agape' and Fraternal love.
Thus, all creatures are lovable because they are part of God's plan. This
form of love, while extremely powerful and motivating, is nevertheless
a quiet and unsupposing style of love. All beings are part of the Symphony,
and are thus deserving of agape'. Elohites' attunement lets them know the
level to which any individual is lovable as a human being per se'. Thus,
on the grand scale of Love, Elohites know what action a mortal did in the
past week that is the most deserving of Love, and what action was the least
deserving of love. If you're having an off week, and not living up to your
potential as a part of God's plan, an Elohite of Amare will know it! Thus,
an Elohite might know that this week a bus-driver let a homeless man on
for free, and let him sleep in the back of the bus for two hours on a cold
winter night, but he also was insensitive to his co-worker's current divorce
proceedings.

Malakim

Parents, while they love us, sometimes have to help us, guide us, and
when appropriate, punish us. Tough love is the special interest of Malakites.
The loving hand of discipline, when properly applied, can bring any child
back into the Light. Malakites attunement allows them to know the name
of somebody's Mother and Father, as well as the most Memorable/Influential
Incident that occurred between the child and parents. Malakites will be
able to know the source of any parent/child `falling out', as well as the
main incident that characterizes the way a child feels about his/her parents.
Malakites, the toughest of Amare's servitors, often spend their nights
wandering the streets, talking to runaways, and helping them understand
that their parents truly love them, even if they are hard on them.

Kyriotates

Since kyriotates don't spend much time in any one particular host, they
tend to emphasize non-standard types of love. Since they can inhabit multiple
hosts, of different species, they also can understand the bonds of love
that happen between Man and Beast, masters and pets. Thus, a Kyriotate
has a special affinity for the Blind man and his Seeing-eye dog, or the
old lady and her favourite cat. A Kyriotate's attunment allows them to
bond any one animal they inhabit to any one human, at the cost of 2 essence.
This animal will follow the mortal after the kyriotate leaves it, and attempt
to insinuate himself into the mortal's life. If this proposal is reciprocated
by the human, then the bond is relatively permanent, until one or the other
dies. If the mortal dies, the animal will follow within 2 months (of a
broken heart). If the animal is rejected, the animal will feel rejected
by man in general, and will be far less inclined to pair-bond with another
human. This generates dissonance for the kyriotate that attempted to promote
the pair bond. Note: not all pair-bonds involve dogs and cats. Other examples
include parrots, crows, dolphins, horses, elephants (VERY strong bond),
...

Mercurians

Mercurians, as the friends of man, tend to understand Eros the best
of all the angels. They advocate sexual Love above all other forms, since
this is the form of Love which makes the most sense to them. Their attunement
allows them to understand what attracts a mortal sexually. They have the
equivalent of seduction/6, and a charisma +3 in whatever vessel they inhabit.
They simply exude animal magnetism. Thus, while others have to study how
to be sexually attractive and charming, these Mercurials just have a `knack'
for it. If they so choose, they can invest extra character points, to bring
a particular vessel's charisma to an unnaturally high +6 (only possible
through the bonus charisma available due to their attunement). However,
individuals can barely walk down the street without causing car-accidents
from all the rubber-necking.

Servitor Attunements

Comeradery

This attunement allows the servitor to spend one essence to bond a group
of individuals together, so that their love for their comrades-in-arms
bolsters their effectiveness. Thus, while the group remains together, and
all stand opposed against the same foe (individual, group, etc.), they
will fight more efficiently as a unit. The Comrades gain a +1 to hit for
that encounter only. If one of the individuals falls, or the group is forced
to split up, the bonus is lost. Note: in a few, very rare instances, this
can be applied to other, not-strictly-combative arenas as well... Knute
Rockne is rumoured to have somehow invoked this attunement when he convinced
the team to "win this one for the Gipper."

Love Songs

Servitors with this attunement gain the ability to sing the Ethereal
Song of Attraction in such a way as to encourage any of the previously
mentioned types of love. Thus, a Vassal could influence a parent-child
type of bond, an Agape' relationship, or love of one's self through the
use of but the one Song (instead of the generic "fall madly in love
with the subject" use of the Song). Each use of the song can only
influence one Style of Love. Multiple styles of love require multiple uses
of the Song.

Relationships

Allied: Eli, Novalis, Sunya, David (through the love
of 'the group'), Lawrence (comrades-in-arms)Hostile: Marc , Michael, Dominic (there's no room for
Love in Trade, War, or Justice)NB: It is rare, indeed, that the allegience of the war-faction
is divided. Such is the case here, where Lawrence and David seem to understand
the importance of Love far more so than, say, Michael.

Distinctions

Vassal of Affection

Such individuals are difficult to hurt, because they are such likable
characters. If anybody has a chance to know the Vassal, even only slightly,
then they will find it difficult to harm the individual. Unless the aggressor
can successfully make a Will roll, they will find themselves at a permanent
-1 to hit the Vassal, as the aggressor will subconsciously realize that
the Vassal is a genuinely lovable individual. If the aggressor succeeds
in the Will roll, they can over-come their indecision and proceed to attack
unmolested by guilt and/or conscience.

Friend to All

Such individuals gain a permanent +3 on all reaction rolls, due to their
understanding nature, compassionate outlook, and general lovable personalities!
Ya' Gotta' Love these guys, even if you want to hate them.

Master of Love

When such individuals expend 5 essence, they may attempt to force a
permanent bond between two individuals, be they mortal, celestial, or diabolical.
This permanent bond is attempted using a perception vs. will test. If the
bond is formed, then the two individuals are literally unable to harm each
other without harming themselves. Thus, the Bond, akin to the one shared
by the quasi-mythical Corsican brothers, causes each individual to feel
the emotions, pain, and damage of the other. Such a Bond can only be broken
through death, which inevitably kills both participants in the Bonding.

Invocation

Chance of Invocation: 1 (love _is_ fickle)

Modifiers to Invocation:

+1 - a love letter
+2 - the collar/harnass of a faithful pet,... of course, that could apply
to certain humans, too ;-)
+3 - an engagement ring (3 months salary... ouch!)
+4 - Original Copies of the Works of St. Francis
+5 - The Heart of One who died for Love (could be a patriot who died for
the love of their country, or somebody who died from a broken heart, etc.)
+6 - One of the actual Love letters written to Eloise from Pierre Abelard
(the greatest love story ever!)